Survival Has Consequences
by Jesse Wales
Summary: Shana Spencer, resident psychic of the SBPD, has a secret. She poses as a guy for she's in a man's world. But when a violating case lands on the Chief's desk and the Psych crew is banned from the station, her secret is threatened, and all she did was survive. On the other hand: What's the story with the blast from Carlton's past? Full Summary Inside. Formally "PSYCH With A Twist"
1. Intro

**A/N**: I wrote you all a poem:

**Love Me**

**Hate Me**

**But Here Is**

**A New Story**

Done!

**Disclaimer:** I, Jesse Wales, state that I, in no way, own any characters, settings, etc. of Psych. All rights belong to USA Network. The problem is… **I STOLE THESE PEOPLE AND ALTERED THEM OR THEIR LIVES, SO THEY'RE MINE! MINE, DO YOU HEAR ME?** I will not violate the rules of claiming credit. Thank you.

**Full Summary: **Shana Spencer, resident psychic of the SBPD, has a secret. She poses as a guy for she's in a man's world. But when a violating case lands on the Chief's desk and the Psych crew is banned from the station, her secret is threatened, and all she did was survive.

On the other hand: What's the story with the blast from Carlton's past?

All we know is that Carlton is going to have to really juggle his Social Life and his Work Life for the first time in a long time.

Chapter 1: Season 1 Episode 1 Part 1: Intro

_1986 Santa Barbara, CA _

_Young Shana Spencer and her dad were sitting at table set in a small diner they visited often. There was funky 80's music playing in the background and she could hear the small quiet chatter of the other customers. Shana was currently sporting a tan, white, and dark brown striped shirt and a plain pair of blue jeans. Her silky, brown hair was put up in a simple ponytail, the tips of it just barely reaching her shoulders, using a tan, fluffy hair band. She was sitting quietly in her seat, having just finish eating her food, and waited for the words that she knew would come out of her dad's mouth. Said dad, Henry Spencer, detective extraordinaire, crossed is arms._

"_You do your homework?"_

"_Uh-huh," was her quick answer, playing with the fork in her hand, her hazel eyes focusing on random things. Her empty plate and her dad's empty mug containing coffee sat there._

"_Finish those beets?"_

Isn't it obvious? _She thought. _I'm sitting right in front of you.

"_Yep," her eyes zoomed in on a fudge cake slice in a see-through display case on the counter. "Can I have the fudge cake?_

_Henry studied her quickly._

"_Close your eyes."_

"_Dad, I don't wanna…," she whined, knowing exactly he was planning._

"_Now."_

_She sighed, shaking her head in exasperation, and did what he said. She closed her eyes and put her fingers to her temples, the thumbs resting under her chin. It was what helped her concentrate._

_This was her ultimate least favorite thing to do. You would have thought that she being a girl would have made her Daddy's Little Girl, but it didn't spare her from the training._

_Her dad looked over her head, studying the EXIT sign above the door._

"_Which letter is out in the EXIT sign?"_

And it begins_, she thought glumly._

_She searched her memory and quickly found the answer._

"_The 'X'," she answered._

_Her eyes were still closed because she knew the tests were never that short._

"_What color is the vinyl?"_

_He eyes scrunched up in confusion._

"_What's vinyl?" she asked._

"_It's the stuff these seats are covered in," Henry answered looking at his seat._

_She concentrated hard._

"_Purple," was her quick and simple answer._

"_Maroon, close enough. Manager's name?"_

What?

"_Who?" she asked._

"_She's wearing a name tag. The woman standing at the front door when we first walked in. You saw her."_

_Shana brought the memory back to mind and replayed the scene her dad was talking about. She was scanning the room and she spotted the name._

"_Marie," she said finally. "Can I have the cake now?_

_She said it hopefully, wishing he was finally done. Her dad leaned forward, arms still crossed._

"_How many hats?"_

_She thought too soon._

"_Ugh, come on, dad," she groaned._

"_Shana, you want a piece of cake? How many hats are in the room?"_

_Shana rubbed her temples and answered._

"_Does a beanie count?" she asked, still thinking._

"_What do you think?"_

"_Three."_

_Done!_

"_You didn't describe them."_

_Or not._

"_That's not fair," she said indignantly._

_The waitress finished with the people behind them and was heading up with her pad and pen at ready._

"_Times almost up, Shana."_

_She took on hand of her head and began pointing out the hats she was describing. Her eyes were still shut and she licked her lips. Her dad head followed her descriptions._

"_One has a flower, the one the lady's wearing. One has a picture of some kind of lion, on the weird guy with the crooked tooth. The last one is on the chef."_

_Her dad looked up at the waitress standing and looking impressed._

"_What about the beanie?" he asked._

"_A beanie's a cap, not a hat," she said, shaking her head._

_Her dad let show a small smile with quickly disappeared._

"_All right, open your eyes."_

"_Thank you," she muttered, letting her head dip a little and her hands squeezed close before opening again. "And I told you I like being called Shawn, dad._

"_That's a boy name," he huffed._

"_And I like it very much. Gus calls me Shawn, why can't you?"_

_Henry didn't answer and the waitress then chose to speak._

"_Wow, that's amazing," her pen poised over her pad._

_Shana smiled with pride, arms on the table surrounding her plate._

"_It's adequate," her dad said smugly._

_Her smile disappeared. Henry glanced up at the waitress._

"_Get her, her cake," he told her and she wrote it down._

_She glanced up and smiled at the put-down Shana._

"_I guess I know what you're gonna be when you grow up," she stated._

"_Oh," she said shaking her head. "I'm never gonna grow up, ma'am."_


	2. The Call

**A/N: **My computer wasn't protected so I couldn't update. Sorry.

**Disclaimer:** They're not mine to keep but I not giving them back.

Chapter 2: Season 1 Episode 1 Part 2: The Call

2006 Santa Barbara, CA

Shawn flopped down on to her couch and glanced around her living quarters. She was wearing a gray T-Shirt and a pair of flannel pajama bottom. She was barefoot and her hair was down. It had grown a little past her shoulders, but not too much. She cuts in regularly to keep it that way.

Shana had long since fully accepted the name Shawn Spencer. She even hacked the hospital she was born in and the police database and created a fake listing of a Shawn Spencer that had all her real facts with just a gender and name change. She took her real one and buried it deep in the databases where it wouldn't be found. She didn't want people to find it but she didn't want to erase her true identity. Plus, it could come handy in the future. She had an ID and driver's license for both identities and the necessary papers. She kept the Shawn one in an obvious part of her wallet but hid the Shana one in a hidden part of it.

Gus knew about all of this already and he plays along. They have been best friends since early childhood. You would have thought that since her best friend was a guy but she already solved that problem when they were 15. It was after a school dance. They went together because no one but Snotty Sally asked Gus and Shana turned every guy down hard. He made his move after it ended and we were walking home together, making sure she got home safely.

LINE BREAK

_It was dark outside and they were about three blocks from Shana's house. Gus was in a black tux and looking like your everyday gentleman, bow included. Shawn was wearing a tight-fitting white silk dress that had a v cut down to her middle back and it ended just above her knees. She completed it with a pearl necklace and earing and a white handbag. She refused to wear heels so she wore simple flats._

_Shana was talking a mile-a-minute as per usual and Gus walked alongside her, listening to her vent about some guy who bugged her at the dance. He smiled or chuckled at the right parts but he was too quiet and seemed out of it. She took notice but thought nothing of it. She assumed he was tired and was more than willing to let her go on._

"… _and Bobby, that dirt-bag, asked me to dance with him, the audacity. I told him to get his sleazy hands of me before I sucker punch him in the face. He was flat out drunk and I would have broken his nose if I had to. Why would someone even drink alcohol at a school-funded dance? It's wrong and he should get…"_

_They had just walked under a street light when she was forced to stop because she felt something or someone grip her arm. She turned to see Gus holding her arm gently. He had a serious look on his face as he studied her face silently. She breathed out slowly and suddenly became aware of just how close he was standing to her. It seemed like Gus had made up his mind about something and pulled her close to him, gripping her upper arms. He began to lower his head with his eyes closed, getting closer, and she leaned back, eyes wide. She let out a strangled sound from her throat and Gus opened his eyes._

"_Gus, what are you doing?" she asked nervously, looking into his eyes, still in that awkward position._

_Gus cleared his throat and answered._

"_I was trying to kiss you," he said sheepishly, as he straightened up._

_She pulled out of his hold and he took a step back, shoving his hands in to his pockets._

"_Uh, I don't know how to tell you this but… I don't really… think of you… like that," she finished lamely, twiddling her thumbs._

_Gus sighed._

"_Then, I guessed I just ruined our friendship. There would just be an awkward tension between us. You probably never even want to see my face. Seriously, I don't even know why I tried to kiss you. You're my best friend, or at least use to be my best friend, and now I had to go and ruin it. Bye Shana. I hope you get home all right."_

_He turned away and his body posture showed that he wanted to bolt and hide his face in shame. Gus just settled on walking away calmly. He never called her Shana since first grade. It showed that he was thinking of her as a girl he sort of liked instead of just his best friend he liked to play in the mud with. She softened._

_Shana ran to catch up with him and placed her hand lightly on his arm. It had no force in it but he still stopped none the less. He turned around and stared at her quizzically. She sighed and placed her hand on his cheek, pulling his face down. Her lips met his and he froze in shock. She pulled him closer by yanking on his suit and then wrapped her arms around his neck, continuing the kiss. He unfroze and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her until their bodies were melded together. It lasted for a few more seconds and then she pulled away. He let her go but she surprised him when she brought him into a crushing hug. She placed her head on his shoulder and he hugged her back._

"_Of course I want to see you again and you didn't ruin anything," she whispered in his ear._

_He tightened his hold on her._

"_Is that a yes then?" he asked hopefully._

_He never mentioned what but she knew what he was talking about, the next step: dating._

"_No," she said and when his grip slackened, she quickly added. "But you are my best friend and you will always be my best friend Gus. Remember we promised each other, together forever."_

"_Together forever," he whispered back. "Yeah, I remember."_

"_And that means we will always be there for each other no matter what. Through thick and thin, I will be by your side and you by mine. Do we have a deal?"_

"_Yes, we do."_

_The hug lasted a while longer. Shana gave Gus once last squeeze and then she stepped back. Gus stared at her and looked to be fighting with himself. He opened his mouth and then closed. He did that a few more times and she raised an eyebrow. He made up his mind._

"_Is it wrong to say that I always wanted to know what my best friend tasted like?" he asked, looking at his feet._

_She studied him and then let out a laugh. His head shot up and he looked startled._

"_Not at all, just as long as I am allowed to say the same thing about you too, Gus."_

_This time he raised an eyebrow but not as skillfully as she had executed it. Well, she had practiced and mastered it over the years. She blushed._

"_What? You may be my best friend but you are also a guy too. I have thought about it and about making a move but then I weighed my options. I valued you more as my best friend because if we dated and it didn't work out, then there would be major tension. I like you Gus, a lot, but I rather have you in my life as my friend than having you not being there at all."_

_Gus sniffled and his eyes glistened. Shana gasped._

"_Are you crying?"_

"_No… some dust flew in my eye."_

_She hit him._

"_Liar, you so are crying. Well, it's okay."_

"_So what if I am crying? And I would want you in my life even if we are not dating."_

"_Good. Now what did I say about calling me Shana?"_

"_Don't?"_

"_Good boy," she said, patting his cheek. "But since it's a special occasion and this is odd circumstances, I'll let it go."_

_Shana started walking forward, but hesitated and sopped, causing Gus to walk into her. She turned and kissed him one more time. She pulled away before he could react and grabbed his arm._

"_Come on, my dad can give you something to eat and you can sleep over. But remember, no funny business, okay?" she added a wink to ease his troubled face and show him she was joking._

_He blushed and she laughed, pulling him down the street until he started walking. She slipped her hand into his. He looked at her and she shrugged. They continued walking to her house which was now in view. She looked up at him._

"_So," she stared casually. "What do I taste like?"_

"_Pineapples," was his quick and simple answer and she grinned._

LINE BREAK

She realized if people thought you were a guy, they treated you better and with more respect. Also, they treat her rough and not like a fragile china doll. She wants even got into a fist fight with bouncer at a bar. She only came out with a black eye, a few bruises, and broken fist. You should have seen the other guy.

Her dad brought her to Tae Kwan Doe lessons at age 5 and when she got into that fight with her dad over the Grand Theft Auto and left, she still practiced by herself at the local gym. She even added boxing when she turned 20. By the way, the GTA was just because she was trying to impress this boy from school but of course he over-reacted and arrested her. It back-fired on him on him because she could never become the cop he wanted her to be.

"You know what? I do need to redecorate…" she murmured to herself, she picked up an old chip bag that was between the couch cushions. "… And clean."

She threw the bag on the floor, laid down, and picked up the remote, flipping the television on. It displayed the channel 8 news.

"…precipitation later on in the week, but all in all, a wonderful day to take a hike. Now, back to you, Dana," the weatherman said.

The screen shifted the weather display board or green screen thing and it now showed brown-haired woman wearing a black suit and pearl earrings. She was holding a microphone, telling the camera about some break-ins somewhere.

"…voicing her concerns regarding the department's long-time policies. Joe, do the police have any leads at this time?" the woman, apparently named Dana, asked another man.

Shawn leaned forward. The camera moved back to reveal the person Dana was questioning. This Joe guy was short, large, and sporting a bald patch in the front of his head, with short brown, slightly curly hair coming out the back. He was sweating and Shawn zoomed in on his wringing hands. He looked awfully nervous for someone who is just a victim and not a suspect in a crime. She smiled.

"We're at a loss; we really don't know what else to do. It's been a tough few weeks; we've basically run out of ideas. Hopefully, the – the police will be able to crack this one for us," said Joe.

Shawn muttered under her breath, "Oh my Gosh."

She snagged the phone on the side couch table.

"Closing the books on Divisions' break-ins could be just the olive branch needed to set things in the right direction," continued Dana.

Shawn dialed the police stations non-emergency number and listened to it ring. There was a click and it connected.

"Santa Barbara Police Department," a woman's voice said.

"Ah, it's the store manager, he did it," she said, using her "guy" voice out of habit. It was slightly lower than her normal one but not by too much. It had to be convincing, not Darth Vader.

"Pardon, me?"

She realized the woman had no idea what she was talking about. She never said it.

"Uh, the stereo robberies, at Divisions chain store. He's on Channel 8 News right now," she answered and then she chose to elaborate. "His hands, nervous tick, dead giveaway. And he won't look at the reporter in the eyes."

The woman hesitated and then she spoke again.

"And your name is?"

"My name?" she questioned. "My name is Shawn Spencer."

Shawn could hear her mumbling to herself and the sound of pen writing on paper.

_She's probably writing my name down._

"And is there anything else today?" the woman asked.

"No, that's gonna do it. Thanks," she added at second thought.

"…retailers are waiting and hoping…" said Dana in the background.

Shawn looked at the screen again.

"Actually, the tags on the news van have expired, but that's completely unrelated."

After she hung up, Shawn looked around.

"Where are my handcuffs?"


	3. Meet the Cast

**A/N:** I don't beg for reviews to update. I feel that reviewing is a reader's choice and they do it to tell the author what they think. But feel free to review if you want to love. I would love to hear what you have to say. P.S. – I have been imagining writing this story forever but when I saw there were only three Female Shawn stories, I had to do it. This chapter is what I call meet the gang. I won't complete the whole episodes though.

**Disclaimer:** I disclaim them all. Well, except for Shawn, Gus, Carlton, Juliet, Karen, Henry, Buzz, the station and all other locations, the whole police force, and all victims and criminals. So, that pretty much leaves nothing. So… yeah… LOOK A BUTTERFLY! O.O Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

Chapter 3: Season 1 Episode 1&2: Meet the cast

Carlton

"Okay, fine. There were extenuating circumstances. The arresting officer was my father; he was trying to teach me a lesson," Shawn said, pulling her hat farther down and pulled her leather coat tighter around her. Defensive actions but who could blame her.

"Did you learn it?" asked Lassiter, popping his gum.

"I learned I hated my father, so, sure."

She meant it.

"Well, pardon me if I'm just a little skeptical."

TiMe SkIp

"I got the information because… I am psychic."

LINE BREAK

Buzz

Shawn raised her hands and started swinging them around.

"One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three. One…," she said, then turned to the rookie holding a clipboard. "When's the wedding?"

"May 3rd," said rookie, smiling proudly. "Wait, how'd you know?"

She flashed back to when she saw him the room practicing.

"I'm getting dance lessons for a wedding reception. And you are getting good," she added.

The rookie had a grin that looked like it could split his face in half.

"Wow! That's amazing."

"Oh, come on. Who's buying this?"

LINE BREAK

Karen

"Oh, you're welcome."

Interim Chief Karen Vick continued walking down the steps.

"That wasn't the phrase I was going to use. I was going to say, improbable. Possible, yet, unlikely," she told Shana, looking at her skeptically.

Shana pulled her hat down further and the Chief's eyes flicked up to the hat. She frowned but moved on. Shana studied her but saw no new reaction out of the ordinary.

She's good, Shana thought.

"Look, it's hard to explain. I'm gifted. I was born that way," she shrugged.

Karen continued assessing her.

"I knew your father, he was a good cop. You're nothing like him."

Shana's face darkened at the mention of her father but it brightened instantly.

"I take that as a compliment, ma'am."

Chief bristled at the title. She shook her head.

"Don't ever call me ma'am."

LINE BREAK

Gus

"I have a job for you."

Gus looked up at her.

"I already have a job," he said.

Shana tilted her head slightly to the side and focused on Gus's keyboard and hand positioning.

"They're paying you to play video games."

"How do you do that?"

She sighed and pulled off her hat. Her hair fell down and she ran her hand through it, putting loose strands back in place. She collapsed in to one of his client seats.

"Why do you keep asking? Come on, left hand, space bar, right hand, arrow keys? Gus, you should ask me a challenging question every once in a while, just for kicks maybe," she said from her slouched position.

Gus turned off his game and stood up. He scanned one of his papers and turned to his shelf. Shana got up and opened Gus's draw, pulling out a zip-lock bag filled with pretzels.

"Oh, man, I'm sorry I didn't realize the new butt cream had come in."

LINE BREAK

Henry

"I didn't miss anything."

Henry looked at him.

"There are seven hats, Shana."

"Were. Before I closed my eyes. Cowboy-hat walked out while I was ridiculing mustache-rides," she said before leaning back.

Henry looked around him to see what she was talking about.

"Come on. I heard her boots," she said cockily, splaying out her fingers.

"All right, close enough."

She shook her head in disbelief at his stuck-up ego.

"Close enough? No, I nailed that. And you know it, old man. So why don't you take your huge ego and suck it. BTW, the police think I'm a guy so…" she said casually.

She stood up while her dad was in shock. She pulled out her wallet and threw a few bills down on to the table. She grabbed her coat.

"Thanks for lunch. That's my part of the bill."

LINE BREAK

Juliet

"No, no, no, I was sitting right there three minutes ago, and then I went outside to get myself a paper. I ordered a juice, and look, I made a crawling snake with the straw wrapper. You can finish it if you think you're up to the job."

The woman smiled. And she did to. She seemed like a fun person to know. Shana tugged at her hat, pulling it lower, and sat down in the chair next to her.

"I'm sorry. Do you want me to move?" she asked with a smile.

"No, it's good. So, what's up?" Shana asked.

The blond lady folded her newspaper, putting it to the side.

"I don't have time to talk."

Okay.

"But you haven't heard what I'm going to say," she continued despite the woman's implied message.

Said woman lifted her hands in a frustrated movement but her face showed amusement.

"See, now we've already talked more than I wanted to."

Shana followed the lady's hand to her bag and studied it. She noticed the brand of her bag, a piece of fur on her shoe, a picture of her parents inside her bag, and fur on her sleeve, shoe, and bag. She smiled.

"Well, I did give you my seat, you know. I think that gets me one question," she said.

Lady Unnamed turned to her and Shana dipped her head a little down. The woman raised an eyebrow but plowed on.

"Listen, diner guy…"

"Shawn," Shana supplied.

"Shawn. Flattered, really. Very often, I am happy to meet new people. But today, right here, right now, I can't talk."

Shana got a sudden, random idea.

"Okay, I understand. I do. What if I do the talking for both of us?" she asked with a hidden smirk.

"Have at it! Do you mind if I read the paper and stare aimlessly out the window while you two talk?" she said exasperated.

Shana grinned.

"No. Can I get a name to work with?"

"Juliet."

Shana took a sip of her drink and swallowed.

"Well, it's very nice to meet you Juliet," directly addressing Juliet.

She glanced to the side to see Juliet's reaction. All she did was open her paper again and smooth it out on the counter.

"It's nice to meet you, too, Shawn. And I am sorry about your seat. So, lunch is on me. So, what do you do for a living?" Shana said using her real voice.

Juliet looked up with a start.

"That's a really good impression of a woman's voice."

Shana blinked.

"Uh, thank you I guess. I practice?"


	4. Up for Interpritation

**A/N:** I decided to put a chapter to see if the readers can figure out what it means.

**Disclaimer:** I do not not own any of these people, settings, etc. et cetera etc.

Chapter 4: Up for Interpretation

**1**

1

2

3

5

"Listen to me, Spencer. The department's reputation is on the line with this one. If I catch you anywhere near this case, I will throw every book I can find at you."

She smirked.

"What if you find the Bible? You gonna throw that too? Seems a little sacrilegious to me, don't you think?"

Lassiter held his anger in and just walked back into the room quietly. Shana watched him until he disappeared. She rubbed her bruised, aching shoulder that had hit the wall.

"Ow."

11

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**2**

32

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"He put his what in your what?"

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**3**

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"I know you are happy that we closed the Arsassin case but I think that is enough celebratory drinks."

"But Gussy, I don't wanna go yet," said a bubbly and drunk Shana, swaying slightly.

"You're about to fall over," said Gus as he took the glass away from her non-resisting grip.

He grabbed her arm and helped her get down from the booth. Gus started leading the tipsy Shana to the door when she stumbled and would have hit the ground if he didn't wrap his arms around her waist. He pulled her back up. Shana was laughing.

"That was fun and you're my hero. I should reward you," she said.

She gave him a peck on the lip and started giggling. Gus sighed, rolling his eyes, and once again started pushing her to the door not expecting her to choose that moment to pass out. He caught her again before she hit the ground and picked her up bridal style.

"You do not handle alcohol well."

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**4**

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"Nice shooting detective."

Shana was breathing hard, leaning against Lassiter's car's hood.

"Did you just call me detective?" she asked Lassie.

Henry and Carlton glanced up at her.

"No."

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**5**

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134

"Why do you always wear hats?"

Shana shifted his eyes from Lassiter tap-dancing to Juliet who had just asked her a question.

"What?"

"Why do you wear hats all the time?" asked Juliet, rephrasing her previous question.

Shana thought.

"I have a… bad hair day?" she ended it like a question.

Juliet lifted an eyebrow and snorted in disbelief.

"You have a bad hair day every day?"

"A matter of fact, I do for your edification."

Juliet laughed

"You took that from Carlton."

"I do not deny that."

135

**AA/N:** So, what do you think this chapter stands for?


	5. I Won't Be a Pest! I Promise

**A/N:** I altered the interaction between Shana and Juliet to answer some questions. The bold numbers represented the seasons/years that went by and the others were the amount of cases Shana and Gus solved. Sorry, I never expected anyone to get it, I was just bored and felt like torturing you all. Warning: I may add a few songs (not too much) that I feel relate to the story. Also, I grow more confident in this story, I might make it a series. And who likes the banner I made?

Chapter 5: I Won't Be a Pest! I Promise.

"Make that 136 people! Boo yah!"

Shana then proceeded to fist-bumped her partner-in-crime, Gus, who had already given up on trying to look exasperated at his friend's obnoxious bragging. They had just closed a case involving a string of robberies that was just a cover for a drug trafficking gang. No one saw the connection but Shana because she was the only one to even consider listening to one of the victim's 15 year old compulsive liar daughter who claimed to be a witness. After reading through most of her lies, Shana saw a glimpse of truth in the amount and descriptions of the perpetrators, including an identifying tattoo that most of the gang members had. A check-in the database and they had enough to get a warrant to search and arrest members at a well-known hangout for the gang.

Shana stuck her hand up in the air a shout, pumping the air and danced around the bullpen. She felt someone bump into her.

"Are you done making a fool of yourself now Spencer?" Lassiter said, brushing past with another case file, pushing Shana arm down as he went by.

Shana grinned despite the insult and turned to face Gus.

"Am I done?" she asked with false seriousness.

Gus shook his head no and Shana spun back to Carlton.

"No, no I don't think I am, Lassie."

Shana ambled over to Carlton, who had reached his desk, sat down, and started reading the file, with Gus followed close behind. She leant over his seated figure.

"So, whatcha got there," she asked, trying to pear over his shoulder.

He instantly shut the file with a snap and glanced up, growling at her.

"Look here, you may be a guy who wants to be a cop and pretends to be a cop. But you aren't a cop and you sure don't act like one. So, why don't you go scurry away and find someone else to bother?"

"Hold it, squeeze it, and pass it around… I lost my train of thought. Oh, I remember. There are three things that you got wrong in your pretty little speech. I don't want to be a cop, I don't scurry, I prance, and you're my favorite person to rub the wrong way, my dear Lassifrass. Rub the wrong way, that a weird saying, it sounds wrong, don't you think Gus?"

Gus took his cue with precision.

"Definitely, and I don't get the saying, 'It's raining cats and dogs.' Cats and dogs do not fall from the sky. Can't they just say it's raining heavily?"

"I wish it rained dogs when I was younger. My dad refused to get me a puppy. He wouldn't be able to say no if it fell into my arms from the sky. He wouldn't human if he said no, not that he is anyways," Shana sighed, pretending to pet a dog in her arms in thought.

Carlton rubbed his eyes, moaning.

"Are you two idiots done yet?" Lassiter groaned.

"I take offense to that. I'm more of a hooligan than an idiot. And Gus… well, I can't really say anything… ow!"

Shana rubbed her shoulder, pouting, and punched Gus back, starting another fight between them consisting of punches, slaps, and yelps.

"I went to college Shawn, unlike you," accused Gus.

Shana laughed.

"Hah! Like that makes a difference. While you were off partying with your college buddies, I was too busy working my butt off trying to make a living, thank you very much."

Gus scoffed, "I wasn't partying, I was studying, something you could never comprehend, and since when is being an ice skate sharpener at On Your Toes Skate Shop in Santa Cruz making a living?"

"It was hard-work and you don't know how many times I have almost lost a finger. So, it's considered a hard-working job and can be called making a living, right Lassie?" she said, turning to Lassiter, hoping for his agreement.

He was gone and so was the file but his chair was still spinning in slow circles. Shana stopped it and turned back to the room.

"Lassie?" she called.

She received no answer and she stood there looking lost. A few seconds later, Juliet came walking around the corner and sat down at her desk with her own manila case file. Shana caught sight of her and grinned. She walked over, pulling up a chair and plopped down in it. Not looking up, Juliet let loose a small smile, satisfying Shana a little. Straightening her cap and tapping away at Juliet's desk, Shana started beat-boxing until she looked up. Juliet sighed and pushed her file to the side, turning her full attention to Shana.

"Can I help you Shawn?" she asked finally.

"Where's Lassie?"

Juliet sighed, smothering a chuckle. She thought about what to tell her before answering.

"If he wanted you to know, he would tell you. And he doesn't want you to know, if anything is to be told by how fast he ran by me," she said with a smirk, knowing her partner wouldn't forgive her.

Shana feigned shock. She spluttered.

"Of course, Lassie wants me to know that he is in Interrogation Room B," she dead-panned.

Juliet's jaw was close to dropping but she caught it. She instead chose to lean forward.

"Now, how do you do that?"

Juliet didn't realize that Shana took a wild guess and that she just confirmed it. Pointing at her head, Shana replied.

"It's a gift, a curse, and a bargaining tool."

And it helped that Juliet had said that she was going to the filing room before leaving Shana and Gus to collect their signed check from the Chief. The Filing Room is near the stairway leading to the Interrogation and Record Rooms. If Carlton ran past her, he most likely went down the stairs. You can't really sit down and concentrate in the Records Room so he must have chosen the Interrogation Rooms. It had to be Room B because a group of officers, that Shana had walked by when she entered the station, were gossiping about the embezzler that McNab brought in. The crook was placed in Room A.

_I should congratulate Buzz on his successful bust_, she thought.

"Forget I asked," Juliet retorted.

When Juliet said nothing else, she hummed and tilted her head to the side, biting her lip. It was a habit she formed. She did it when she had a question that she was hesitant to ask or if she wanted to say something she wasn't sure about. She couldn't break it, no matter how hard she tried. The old saying old habits die hard wasn't joking. She can't take a knife to it… so… nothing.

"So, Jules, any cases you might want to share with me?"

Exasperated, Juliet said, "You just closed a case. Don't you want to just go home and relax like I'm sure Gus did?"

"Wait, what?" Shana shouted, perplexed.

She sprung up, instantly scanning the room and taking everything in. Not finding the person of her interest, she frowned before dropping back into her chair.

"I can't believe Gus left me. He's my ride," she complained.

Juliet covered her giggle with a fake cough and leaned back into her chair.

"Well, if you can wait until six, I can drop you off home, if you like."

"Would you? That's fantastic! Thanks Jules! Now that that problem is out of the way, we were discussing something about cases…," she trailed off suggestively.

Shaking her head, Juliet subconsciously pushed the file a little farther away from Shana.

"I'm sorry, Shawn. No can do. I just can't share this one with you this time. The Chief ordered me, Carlton begged me, and Henry… well Henry just said no."

"Please," she begged pitifully, whining and pouting.

Juliet shook her head and went back to her reading, leaving Shana to do as she pleases. Sighing dramatically, Shana leaned back, staring at nothing, arms draped over the chair arms and legs splayed out. Seeing nothing else to do, she zoned out, thinking.

_Lassie ran from me… not the first time, that's for sure but… I might… possibly be a little too hard on… jerkish to him. He's ego is definitely taking a beating and I haven't really given him a chance to solve cases much. I should ease up on him a little. He's my friend, whether he believes it or not, and I haven't really been acting… like one. I know he can solve cases and he can do this one on his own. Well, as on his own as he can having Jules, his partner, working besides him. They are detectives and the best ones Santa Barbara can ever ask for. I should… no I will let them have this one. And that's…_

"Shawn?"

She broke out of her musing and focused on Juliet's swimming face. She blinked, clearing her vision.

"Uh, what, um, yes Jules?"

"Are okay? Do you need something?" she asked concerned, looking ready to jump up and fetch at Shana's request.

"No, I'm good. Why?"

Juliet bit her lip and looked nervous.

"Uh, well, I… I never saw you sit so still and stay quiet that long… before."

Shana smiled, "I was just thinking. I'm fine… thanks."

"Oh, okay, great."

Shana stood. Juliet looked up again.

"Where are you going?"

Shana was tempted to tell her she was going to see Lassiter but thought against it. Juliet would try to talk her out of it, thinking she would only bother him.

"I'm going to the bathroom," she finally said.

"Well, don't take too long. I leaving…," Juliet glanced at her watch. "…in fifteen minutes."

"Sure."

Shana feigned going to the bathroom, heading in its direction, but turned foot as soon as Juliet went back to her papers. She passed the Filing room, aiming for the stairway, jumping down them, and turned right. She stopped at Interrogation Room A and glanced in. Through the one way mirror on the farther wall, she could see the embezzler handcuffed to the table. She forged on and stopped at the next room, entering and moving to the one-way glass. There she saw Carlton studying his file, taking notes, and chewing on the tip of the pen. He stuck it behind his ear and continued reading, faced scrunched and eyebrows furrowed in concentration. She stood there watching him for a few seconds, then walked over to the door separating the two rooms and knocked. His head shot up, he scrutinized the door, and barked out permission to enter. Shana opened the door lightly and stepped in. Lassiter sighed and kneaded his temples.

"What do you want Spencer? I'm not letting you so much as breathe on this case," he sneered.

"That's the exact reason I came done here, Lassie," she plowed on, unruffled by his bad attitude. "I am… I'm not going to barge in on your case."

"Well, I don't care that… wait what?" he asked, flustered.

"I'm not going to butt into your investigation. It's yours and I should respect that. Well, at least this time, because come one, of course I'm going to work on some of your future cases whether you like it or not. I'm me, it's my nature, solve cases and bug you, my two favorite things to do. But, this one is yours to keep," she said with a small, modest smile.

He studied her suspiciously.

"This better not be a joke or so help me…"

"Carlton!" she interrupted. "Lassie, I'm serious. Now believe it or I'm taking everything back. Now, good luck, you don't need it… but still, good luck. You can do this, I know you can."

He nodded at her solemnly and continued his work. She sighed and turned, walking out the door. She can swear she heard a soft thank you follow her out the door. She continued on like it didn't happened and that was exactly how he would have wanted. She sprinted up back to the stairs and took them two or three at a time, speeding past Buzz. She stopped and spun around.

"Hey Buzz Buddy!" she yelled down to him.

Buzz stopped and turned to face her too.

"Yes, Shawn?"

"Congratulations on your embezzlement case! You did good stuff," she praised.

He beamed ear from ear, a slight blush on his cheeks. She waved at him and exited the staircase. She sped to Juliet's desk to find her packing her bag and retrieving her coat. Juliet jumped when she tapped her on the shoulder.

"Oh my gosh, Shawn, you startled me. I was just about to call you. What took so long? You said you were going to the bathroom," she accused.

Shana shrugged and waved it off. Juliet rolled her eyes and Shana snagged her coat.

"Are we going?" she asked.

Juliet led the way and they climbed into her green buggy. As they drove, they made idle conversation and Shana hopped out when the car stopped in front of her apartment.

"Thanks Jules and see you later!" she said.

"You're welcome and yeah, see you."

Juliet drove away and Shana unlocked her door, going in. Throwing her coat onto the couch, she pulled her cap, wig, and wig cap off, flinging that on the couch too. She scratched her now long hair.

"So itchy," she moaned to herself in her normal voice. "Now, about Gus, I'm going to call him and yell at him."

She dialed his number on her from and progressed to do so.

"Gus! I can't believe you…!"

**A/N:** I hope that wasn't _too_ OOC. Thank you for still reading. And please, forge on!

Answer to BlkLunaDragon: If you wrap the chest area, it should flatten them. It's is said that it is uncomfortable but efficient. And I used a mixture of an Anime Creator, Photobucket, Paint application on the Computer, and Word Document. It took more than three hours to do that and that was the second version. The first took about two.


	6. Cuffed and Prosecuted

**A/N: I must get rid of the Mary-Sueness, this I promise. This story is a slow progressing one so do not be dismayed because the lack of action. It is building up. Do not worry.**

Chapter 6: Cuffed & Prosecuted

"I don't think we should be doing this. He'll kill us. He does have a gun."

"Come on, Gus; have some guts, will you? I was too nice to him last time. I don't want to make a habit of it. That would be boring so I'm making up for it. Now, pass me the screwdriver," Shana ordered.

Gus glanced around the lobby then passed the screwdriver to Shana. He was acting as the watch out while Shana loosened the rest of the bolts on Lassiter's rolling chair. She picked up the ones she took off and put them in her pocket.

"I'm not comfortable with this. He could be back anytime and I don't want to get shot," Gus complained.

Shana glared at him.

"He's not going to shoot us. Well, he's not going to do it in front of all these witnesses which I noticed are also cops. We've got nothing to worry about. Plus, he won't be back for a while because he and Jules got called down to some crime scene."

She got up onto her feet and brushed most of the dust off of her pants.

Glancing at her watch, she winked at Gus and pulled him over to a pillar a few yards away from Carlton's and Juliet's desks.

"They should be here any minute," she told him.

Gus frowned and punched her in the forearm. She cried out and rubbed the offending spot, her smile melting.

"What's that for?" she complained.

"You said they won't be here for a while!"

She shushed him, signaling to lower his voice.

"No need to shout. Maybe I exaggerated a little bit but it was only to keep you from chickening out," she whispered.

"I wouldn't chicken out."

She shot him a disbelieving look and made small, low chicken sounds. After receiving another painful punch to the arm, she pulled him down behind the pillar, watching the entrance. Carlton and Juliet came walking in and went straight in to the Chief's office, closing the door behind them.

"They're here and they went into Chief Vick's office. Just a few more minutes, and the fun shall begin," she told Gus, still crouched.

Just as she predicted, a few minutes later the members of the best detective partnership in Santa Barbara exited the office, both holding new case files. Juliet went over to her desk and sat down at it. Carlton did the same and dropped his file down onto the top of his desk. Carlton reached across the desk top to his pencil holder and pulled out a pen.

_Too predictable_, she thought.

Lassiter shook it and scribbled on a piece of scrap paper. He sighed, threw it back in, and tried out another, ending with the same result. About eleven pens later, he had no luck.

"One, empty pens," Shana whispered to Gus who was watching with equal intensity.

Grumbling and rubbing his head in frustration now, Carlton kneeled down next to his middle draw. He pulled at it and when it didn't budge, he tugged harder. It flew open, smacking him in the head and knocking him to the ground.

"Ohh, two, stuck draw goes whammo. That's got to hurt."

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe you talked me into letting me let you do this. He'll kill you… us, for sure," Gus panicked.

Shana shushed him and continued watching eagerly. Snagging a pen, Lassiter slammed shut the draw with more force than necessary for such a simple task. He placed the pen down and finally sat down into his chair. Shana leaned forward in anticipation.

"Wait for it…," she trailed off, building tension.

A loud groan could be heard and Carlton's face grew alarmed and his eyes widened right before the chair collapsed with a crash. The room quieted and almost every head turned toward the rather loud disturbance. Juliet ran over to her downed partner, bending over to help him up nut the gruff detective waved her off.

"And three, the collapsing chair, brilliance," she prided herself, even going as far as patting herself on the back.

Carlton reached up to grab the handle of the nearest drawer on his desk, planning to use it for support… and it broke, sending him down for another unpleasant meeting with the floor. Shana stuffed her fist into her mouth to stifle her surprised yelp. Gus jerked back in surprise next to her.

"Oh, oh, oh, bonus points. Luck of the draw," she gushed. "No pun intended and I did not plan on the faulty handle."

Gus glanced at her skeptically, "You didn't do that?"

"No, but I wished I did. Too cool."

Lassiter stood up, rubbing his back, and peered around the room while his partner crooned over him. His gaze settled on the pillar and Shana pulled back fast, narrowly missing Gus's face and she held her breath, listening carefully. Only hearing her quick breath, she whispered to Gus.

"That was so close. I think Lassie almost saw me."

She turned to glance back around the pillar again but she came face-to-face with a pair of long legs covered in black, professional pants. Her eyes follow it up past the stomach, the chest, and the neck, reaching the face. And it sure wasn't a friendly face.

"Spencer," her name was growled by the irate male detective.

Gulping, she sprung up and looked behind her, seeking support from Gus but he was gone. Her once wide eyes narrowed.

_Traitor._

She faced Lassiter again, nervous and fidgeting at his steely glare.

"Hey… hey… Lassisota. Wonderful day ain't it," she said, voice a few octaves higher.

He advanced on her, pointing an accusing finger, and she backed up.

"Shut…up!" he barked menacingly. "What did you do to my chair?"

Shana put on a confused face, pretending not to know what he was talking about.

"What? Me? I didn't do anything. I'm innocent."

As she was backing up, her coat snagged on to a loose nail head, pulling at it. It ripped and all of its contents, screw, bolts, a miniature glue bottle, a small plastic syringe full of ink, a screwdriver, a wrench, loose change, and two paperclips, clattered to the ground. She stared down at them and then quickly glanced back up at Lassiter. He was looking at the mess at his feet. She took full advantage of his momentary distraction to try to make her desperate escape. Shana got no further than five steps before a hand closed roughly around her shoulder, yanking her back and spinning her around. Juliet was hovering near by, ready to jump in before Carlton did anything he would, probably not, regret. The rest of the audience, the ones who did not go back to their work, watched the proceedings warily. Shana wrenched her coat out of his hold, straightening the creases.

"Hey, hands off the merchandise. This cost $59.89 which I bought with Gus's card," she complained.

"Shawn!" yelled an indignant voice from behind a potted plant.

Carlton's face was a livid red.

_Oh, look, a new shade of red. Let me add it to my mental list of Lassie's angry colors._

"It was you who sabotage my things. That's why nothing worked out for me since I got here. You messed with my pens, my drawer, my chair, and my drawer handle."

"Wait, I didn't mess with the handle. That was pure and lucky coincidence."

"Oh of all the stupid, hard-headed, irritating, hair-brained, and obnoxious things you have done to me, this may actually take the cake!" bellowed Lassiter, losing much control of his temper.

Shana, the girl without a functioning mouth filter felt the urge to retort and she relented.

"Ohh, yum, there's cake? Where?" she asked excitedly, looking around him in search of the "cake."

Carlton's left eye twitched and his clenched fists shook. Juliet floated a little closer.

"Do you EVER SHUT UP? I am SICK and TIRED of your stupid and reckless antics! You may find it amusing and entertaining but I… Do… Not!"

By now, Carlton's voice had reached a high voice, attracting even more attention than before.

"You usually waltz in…"

"I thought you said I scurry," Shana inserted her piece.

The vein in Lassiter's forehead became more prominent.

"… and cause chaos and havoc and run amuck…," Lassiter continued.

"My three specialties," she butted in again.

Carlton's clenched teeth made a faint grinding sound and Shana scooted back a teensy bit.

"… not ever minding the consequences of your actions. Now, I PROMISE YOU, I WILL…!"

Juliet had finally decided that was enough and it was time to cut in. She touched his shoulder gently and spoke soft, soothing words. He relaxed slightly but his body was still a little tense and his hands were still clenched. Though she was completely aware of the shimmering rage that was still silently brewing, Shana's mouth filter failed her once again.

"Woo! Thank goodness, the dog whisperer came just in time to tame this Rottweiler," she blurted out, feigning relief.

That was enough incentive for Lassiter's poorly contained fury and he lashed out, aiming for Shana's face. What confused him was why didn't he feel anything connect?

Shana saw the slight twitch of his hand and she reacted… fast. In a blink or two of an eye, she deftly shifted to the side and captured his wrist, halting the fist's journey, even though she was already out of harm's way when she had moved before. She glared at him, a dangerous glint and something odd flashed in her eyes. Something that confused Lassiter because it made no, making him sure he was wrong but he couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling that said he wasn't.

The room was silent while everyone stared uncomprehendingly stared at them and tried to register what they had and were seeing. One second, their head detective was swinging at their psychic consultant, and the next thing, said psychic had the detective's wrist in a grip. But before they could question the situation, the Chief had already exited her office and ordered the two to enter it.

Karen shut the door and sat down behind her desk. Shana and Carlton both stayed standing, each on opposite sides of the room, refusing to make eye contact. Karen studied them as she sat there before addressing the two, holding up a hand to silence their attempted words.

"Before you both say anything, I am fully aware of what occurred out there already. The reason I did not come out earlier and break it up before it progressed was because I was on an important phone call with the DA's office. But now that that is over, let us discuss this… problematic situation that happened in _my_ station."

She shot a pointed look at each of them separately, both having the sense to look sheepish, Carlton more than Shana.

"Now, in Mr. Spencer's case, I have no choice but to suspend you for two weeks. That means no cases from the department," She said firmly.

Shana shot forward.

"Wait! That's not far! It was just a prank!" she argued.

Chief Vick didn't even bat an eye.

"A prank that could have seriously injured my head detective, Mr. Spencer, plus, this is not your first offense. And I do not appreciate you yelling at me in my office," she calmly replied.

Shana deflated and a smirk graced Carlton's face. The Chief averted her attention from Shana to him.

"Detective, is there something that amuses you? Because that doesn't excuse your behavior. You attempted to punch Mr. Spencer and that is inexcusable. What were you thinking?"

Carlton opened his mouth but the Chief cut him off.

"No, you weren't thinking. If it wasn't for the fact that we need you to continue working in the high profile case you were assigned, I would have suspended you for the rest of the week. What I will do is make Detective O'Hara the Lead Detective on this case. Also, Mr. Spencer still has the choice on whether or not he wants to file an assault or attempted assault charge against you."

Karen and Carlton glanced at Shana as if awaiting her decision. After a few minutes, she shook her head no. A soft sigh of relief could be heard from both parties.

"Good, now that we have that settled, you're both dismissed," she said blatantly.

Shana left quickly and avoided the stares of all the watchers, heading straight for Gus. She tugged on his sleeve and gestured to the exit.

"Let's go," she said, not waiting for him to catch up.

"What happened?" he asked when he finally did.

She hesitated for a second.

"We are… we're suspended for two weeks," she quickly blurted.

Gus frowned, "What? Shawn, I told you not to do it."

She didn't respond, waiting for him to unlock the car doors. Gus sighed and complied, climbing in along with Shana. He started the car but didn't instantly drive off, instead he faced her.

"One question if I may."

"Shoot."

"You said you were too nice to Detective Lassiter. Why?" he questioned.

She beamed.

"I think I had a bad burrito."

Gus paused.

"Was that Friday?"

She nodded in confirmation.

"I may not have an eidetic memory," he started, "but I know for certain we didn't buy burritos and I was with you most of the day, especially before we interacted with Lassiter."

"So, what's your point?" she asked.

Gus chuckled and threw the car in reverse, shifted gears, and sped off.

**A/N: **Is this better?


	7. Early Mornings Can Be Surprising

A/N: So, I have had an intro, meet the cast, confusion, a Mary Sue, and an attempt at redemption Shawn style. What will I do next? Add some drama of course.

Chapter 7: Early Mornings Can Be Surprising

Later

Shana tossed and turned, trapped in another paralyzing nightmare similar to the one she has almost every other day.

"_Please, please... and don't you ever... You dare bring... my house... clean it up!"_

Screams and pain, crashed and thuds, and other noises as well.

She rolled over in her restless state and fell out of the bed, jolting awake with a yelp. Laying there, tangled up in her sheets, she shivered, shudders a remaining effect of her nightmares. After a few minutes of gathering her bearings, the psychic picked herself up of the floor and managed to stumble to the bathroom without crumbling into a pitiful heap. When her stomach was emptied and the dry heaves subsided, she splashed water on her face, clearing her muddled mind.

She didn't know what it was or about. Maybe it was a memory or a figment of her imagination, she didn't know. She lent more toward the memory idea, but the fact that she can't figure out what happened is what disturbed her. For Heaven's sake, didn't photographic memory mean anything nowadays.

Instead of mulling over things she couldn't understand, she strolled to the kitchen and made herself a cup of coffee. Glancing at the oven clock and sighing, she knew she wasn't going to sleep for the rest of the morning; that's for sure.

It was 2:43.

Carlton glanced away from the glowing red numbers on his bedside clock. What woke him up? His head jerked at the sudden, insistent knocking on his front door. Grabbing the gun out from under his pillow, he sent one more glance toward the clock and flipped the safety off. He swung his legs off and stood as lightening lit the room.

_There's a storm brewing and someone is at my door about three in the morning. They better have a really good reason or I might just shoot them_, he thought.

The thunder further muffled his almost cat-like footsteps as he stepped lightly, peeking through his door's peephole. A face obscured by long, dark, matted, and soaked hair was ass he could see. Opening the door cautiously, he the detective swung his gun out first before revealing himself partially. It was a woman figure with wild, wet hair and ill-fitting clothing holding a knapsack.

"Who's there? What do you want?" he questioned roughly.

A face poked out from behind the mat of hair and a meek voice was heard.

"C-Carlton?"

He peered closer, studying the hooded face.

"Do I know you?"

A flash of light illuminated her face; a memory of a young, vibrant girl came to mind, replacing his annoyance with worry.

"Nile? Nile Lewis?"

Dull, gray eyes rose to somewhat meet his with an unfocused look.

"Y-yes?"

He shoved the gun, with safety back on, into his waistband and pulled her in by her arm, closing and locking the door behind her. He could feel her shaking and hear her chattering teeth.

"Lady Justice, you must be freezing. Stay here," he ordered not unkindly.

Carlton pulled down a blanket from his hallway closet, draping it over the woman's shoulders when he reached her side. He seated her on his couch.

"Do you want anything? Coffee? Tea?"

Nile glanced up, staring at a random spot on the wall, before looking down once again.

"Tea, please." Her voice was quiet.

He nodded and went to fetch her the hot drink, searching through his cabinets and managing to locate a spare package of mint teabags. While he set one to brew, he fashioned a PB&J sandwich because she looked famished. Holding the plate with the sandwich and a cup of the finished tea, he placed it on the coffee table in front of her. The flinch didn't go unnoticed when he sat down next to her, but he didn't being it to attention. The head detective watched as she polished off the tea and nibbled on the bread, eventually setting it to to rest on the plate. She shivered.

_She's wearing wet clothes._

"You're in danger of catching hypothermia if you don't change out of those clothes. Bathroom's down the hall, take a left, and 2nd door on the right. There's clean towels and rags for a shower, if you like." He pursed his lips. "Do you have a extra pair of clothing?"

She nodded slowly, grabbing her bag and shuffling off. When she disappeared from view, he cleaned up, throwing away the barely touched sandwich and washing the cup and plate. He dropped down on the couch, thinking of Nile and what happened to her.

_Why is she here, at my house? How did she know where she lived? Did something happen?_

Similar thoughts also swam around his mind. His thought pattern ceased as the sound of feet padded toward him. Nile, hair still wet, was now wearing gray pajamas that matched her eyes but still didn't fit well. She looked more like herself than before but he could still see the differences. She was bony, hair was tangled not silky, and bags and dark circles were evident under her eyes. Staring bleary at him, she let him lead her to his bed, get her new sheets, and fell fast asleep. Before leaving the room, he turned the alarm off and grabbed his cell, turning the light off as he left.

New alarm set on his phone, he took the couch instead and went to sleep quickly. His last thought was:

_What's going to happen tomorrow?_

A/N: Next Up Soon.


	8. Pick-Me-Up Cases

Chapter 8 Part 1: Pick-Me Up Cases

Pushing scrambled eggs onto a plate, he turned when he heard a yawn behind him. Spatula and pan in hand, he greeted his unexpected yet welcomed guest. "Morning, sleep well?" She nodded then sat down in a chair at the table in the middle of the kitchen.

Nile still looked exhausted though, so it obviously was a lie. Her eyes were drooping, her shoulders were sagging, and she was still yawning. Carlton sighed, finishing his task and depositing the plates laden with eggs, turkey bacon, and hash brown on the table, going back for his wannabe-diabetic's coffee and her tea. He handed hers over before taking a gulp of his, searing his tongue in the process. Pushing it aside with a grimace, Carlton focused on his meal. A fork scraping against plate brought his attention back to Nile. She was separating her food, pushing each type in its own little corner. His lip twitched upward at the familiar action from their college years. It was an old habit she always had.

Back then, she was always a joker who was sarcastic, witty, and mischievous, and if you saw a glint of it in her eyes, you better off running the other direction. That Nile was so different from the one across from him, barely touching her food. He didn't think he liked this version of her.

She eventually pushed the plate away, and Carlton cleaned up, dumping the food in the trash and washing then placing the the dishes in his drainer. When he was done, he leaned against the sink, studying the downcast woman. "Nile?" She looked up. "I have work today."

She nodded. "You're a detective, right?" He scrunched up his eyebrows. "How did you know?

She blushed, looking off to the side. "I... I looked you up. I didn't know if you still lived in California or not."

"Is that how you knew where I lived?" She nodded. He went back to the main topic of the conversation. "I'm suppose to report in about an hour, and I don't want to leave you here alone. Not yet, anyways, so I'm going to bring you in with me. Is that okay with you?"

She thought it over fit a few moments then nodded finally. He frowned at her silence, unnerving him to see her so quiet and closed off. She used to be so open and care-free. "Okay, how about you brush your teeth and change while I shower and change?"

She walked off without a reply, and he watched her go. Sighing and dropping his on his chest, he tried to calm his whirling mind. Now that he has thought about it, he seemed to be sighing awfully a lot recently. Carlton pushed off the sink and went to his room, pulling out a light blue, cotton, button-down shirt and gray suit. Placing these on his bed, he entered the adjoining bathroom and took a quick shower. Dripping wet with a towel wrapped around his waist, he spread shaving cream on the lower portion of his face and shaved off the morning fuzz. He left the bathroom after washing his face and cleaning his teeth. Dressing quickly, he sculpted his hair into a more controlled, professional look, flattening a cowlick with a little gel. As he walked past the hall bathroom, he heard grunts of pain and growls of frustration.

The head detective knocked on the door and called out. "Are you decent?"

There was a pause then a muffled reply. "Yes."

He turned the knob and pushed the door open. The sight that met his eyes made him snort in laughter. Nile scowled, eyes looking past him. She was wearing a pair of light grey jeans and a tight-fitting, long-sleeve lavender shirt, looking completely normal except for the fact that there was a brush caught in her hair. "Let me do it," he offered, reaching out to unhook the brush, but she leaned away. Carlton rolled his eyes. "It's not like it's going to be the first time I brush your hair."

She pouted but let him take the brush out, hissing when it yanked a few strands of hair with it. Holding parts of it with his hand, he gently brushed her hair. Soon enough, it was shiny and silky to the touch. He grabbed the scrunchie from her hand and pulled her hair into a tight ponytail that reached her middle back, remembering it was her preferred style. Pulling out loose hair from between the brush's bristles, the head detective placed it back in her hold. "Go put that away, and you can wait on the couch while I get the rest of my gear together."

After she walked off, he went into the hallway, stopping in front of a portrait of the current president, Barack Obama, and pulling it down. Behind it was a safe which he opened and pulled out his preferred gun, spare gun, badge, and holster. Strapping it on, he put his gun in it and hooked the badge onto his belt. He locked the safe and replaced the painting in its rightful place. Shoes on next, he strode to where he told Nile to wait, grabbing his briefcase on the way.

"Nile?" he called when he saw a hand sticking off the edge of the couch. When he received no reply, he bent over the back and saw she was sleeping. He shook her thin frame. "Nile, wake up. We have to go."

She only shifted, releasing a soft snore. Hiding a smile, he shook her again, gaining no significant response. He huffed in frustration, an idea sparking in his mind. He walked out the door and started the car, throwing his case in the back. Carlton went back inside, leaving the house's front door and the car's passenger door open. Sliding one arm under the bend of her knees and the other under her back, he lifted her up carefully. Her head lolled to the side, resting against his chest as he carried her bridal style out the house, shutting the door with his foot, glad it auto-locked. The door of the car had closed, so he fumbled with his handle, almost dropping her in the process. She slid easily into the seat as he tried not to wake her, for he knew she needed the rest.

With the engine warmed up and ignition started, he climbed into his seat, reversing out of the driveway while watching for other cars, then shifted gears, heading down the road to the station.

After a prompting nudge, she opened her bleary eyes, "Where am I?" she mumbled. "At the Santa Barbara Police Department where I work. It's SBPD for short." She nodded, accepting without questioning how she got there. He helped Nile out, but when she lost her footing, he just put her arm around his shoulder and circled his free arm around her waist, the other holding his briefcase. Starting an awkward walk across the parking lot toward the immensely huge building, her head laid rested somewhere between his shoulder, neck, and chest as she fought to stay at least somewhat awake,trudging up the steps with Carlton to the door.

His hold on her kept her from stumbling. He glared at anyone who dared give them a second look. Stopping quickly to sign in at the front desk wit her leaning against his back, he resumed his position, seating her into a spare chair he pulled up to his desk. Sitting at his own, he watched as she rested her head on the edge of his desk and dozed off. After a few minutes, he stood to look at their murder board sporting two victims from a case they got a week ago.

"Detective Lassiter!" He glanced up, seeking out the authoritative voice, finding it across the bullpen in the form of Chief Karen Vick who was scrutinizing him. She cocked his head, and he followed obediently as she reentered her office. The Chief sat down behind her desk, a place of eminence, and directed him to one of the opposite chairs. "Detective, may I ask who is the woman sleeping at your desk?" He glanced at Nile, then back at her, noting her raised eyebrow. "Chief, that is a friend of mine, Nile Lewis." He held up his hand to stop her. "I know it's highly irregular, but she turned up at my house at four in the morning during a storm, looking dirty, exhausted, and malnourished. I didn't know what to do with her, but I wasn't going to leave her by herself, not in the state she's in. She's barely speaking and won't eat a thing. All I'm asking is for you to allow me to keep bringing her here until I have everything sorted out?"

She contemplated his request, considering the pros and cons of it. "Alright, Detective." She sighed. "As long as she doesn't stop you from working or hinder an investigation, she can stay." Carlton jumped up. "She won't." Composing himself, he continued.\, "And thank you, Chief."

She smiled, shooing him out of her office, already on the computer. Juliet was hovering by his desk uncertainly. "O'Hara." His partner glanced up. "Is there something you need?" Stricken and holding a cup of coffee, she rushed out a reply. "I came over to give you your morning coffee, and I saw this woman here. I didn't know what to do, and I didn't know if she was suppose t be here or not and... and I..." She stopped to take a breathe. "Who is she?"

He rubbed his eyes with one hand. "She's a friend, an old friend. Her name is Nile, and she's staying at my house... not that that's any of your concern. Don't you have... stuff to do?" he asked dismissively, using his hands to express his point. She huffed and stalked off after throwing a sarcastic, "Yes, Detective!" over her shoulder. Observing the room, he realized that Nile was catching not just O'Hara's attention but the fellow officers as well. She may not have served as a major distraction to him, but she was one to everyone else.

Carlton used his pen to nudge the top of her head. She swatted it away, still sleeping; he did it again.

"What?" whined a sleepy voice from the face lying in two arms covered by a curtain of hair.

"I think I should move you to the Break Room. You can lie down ,and it would be more comfortable and quiet. Do you want to go?"

After an unnecessarily loud and obnoxious groan, she nodded, still in the same position. He cleared his throat; she lifted her head, frowning. Sitting up and stretching, she yawned, blinking at him slowly. Eyes half-shuttered, she stood, reaching out for him. She leaned into his back, not caring much for personal space, her hair tickling the back of his neck. He grasped her arm, pulling her to his side, careful not to let her stumble.

Reaching the break room door, he opened it and ushered her in. He lowered her onto the plush coach.

"You can lay here. I'll be back soon enough, so stay put unless you need to use the bathroom. If so, it's down the right hall for approximately 10 feet, turn left for 7 feet, second door. Make sure your visitor's pass is in sight at all times outside this room. If any person, officer or civilian, come in, ignore them, and hopefully, they'll do the same. But if they address or interact with you, direct them to me, Head Detective Carlton Lassiter. That should sway them, and they'll leave you alone." He wrung his hands together. "That's about it. Did you get all that?"

Nile raised an eyebrow and shrugged. Sighing in frustration, he waved it off. "Just call or holler or whatever if you need me. And get some rest."

"Ready for lunch, partner?" He startled, glancing up from the crime scene photos he was studying. "Huh, what? Um... yes, but I need to get Nile. She's coming. Okay with you?"

Her arm swung limply from where it hung when the couch shifted. Lassiter shook her gently, and her silver-gray eyes slid open. Pushing a stray, raven lock aside, she shoved him slightly away, stretching like a cat. He smiled softly when she let out something vaguely resembling a purr. "Yes, welcome to the land of the living, my feline friend." The joke wasn't something he'd usually make, and it surprised him a little.

She clawed him and turned over, cuddling the cushions.

"As much as I enjoy you acting like your true heritage, it's lunch time. So get up while I rub the sore spot where you assaulted an officer of the law."

She rolled over and promptly fell on the floor.

"Whoa there, no taking dives in rooms without pools." He was on a roll.

Catching up with Juliet, he checked his pockets, finding them empty. His partner was unfazed by the heated glare as she held his keys aloft. "You should know it's illegal to pick-pocket. Especially an officer of the law who doubles as your boss and superior," he growled, taking his keys back.

"Yeah, yeah. I didn't pick-pocket you. I secretly stuck my hand into your hanging coat pocket and grabbed your things as you work." His phone, sunglasses, and wallet made an appearance. "Do you want these back? I kind of favor the shades."

Carlton repossessed his items and scowled at her. "Spencer's really rubbing off on you."

_Thump! Smack! Smack! Thump! Smack! Smack! Thump! Smack!_

"Must you do that?"

Shana removed her feet from the window sill, turning her chair. "Yes, I do. I'm bored. Can't we go to Chuckie Cheese's?" He shut his PC and took residence by the wall she was using to bounce her ball against. Her chestnut, green-tinged peepers gazed at him innocently despite his scrutinizing. "You got us banned from the closest, Shawn, and the second as well."

"Well... what ab-?" He cut her off. "And no, I will not drive out that far for the next one over."

"They only know me as a dude, so can't I go in as a girl?" Gus considered it briefly. "What about me?" It took her a minute, but she jumped up, a finger in the air. "I got it! You can be my cha-!"

"I will not be your chauffeur." Her pout was ridiculous. "What about Charl-?"

"You got us banned yesterday?" Shana surprised expression turned into an "ooh" one. "True. I forgot." She ignored his incredulous look, shrugging before resuming her idle play.

A car door slammed and a few seconds later, the office's own door could be heard opening. Shana guise was on from the first warning of a visitor. Shana stuck out her hand to the haphazard woman she plopped herself in front of her. "Shawn Spencer, Lead Psychic Detective of the Santa Barbara Police Department, co-founder and owner of Psych Investigative Services, and certified lion tamer. Interesting fact; never give one chocolate, because it ends badly. Anyways, how may I psychically assist you?"

The poor woman was bemused, staring at the outstretched hand. "What? Oh... nice to meet you?" She accepted the hand. Releasing it, the woman blew her nose into a tissue she pulled out.

The woman looked to be in her mid or late 30's and about 5'3 with flaming auburn hair and emerald green eyes. With porcelain skin, their was a band of sun burn around her neck. She had the appearance of a woman in emotional distress; her hair in a messy bun along with puffy eyes, a running red nose, and clothes that looked like they were just thrown on with no preference. She clutched her purse protectively in front of her as if trying to put a barrier between herself and all harm. Fingering and twisting her wedding band, the lady's action were what tipped Shana off as she observed her.

"So, Mrs...?"

"Nowell, Janice Nowell," she supplied. Shana smiled. "Mrs. Nowell, it's about your husband, isn't it?" Registering the shock on the poor woman's face, lightly place a hand to her temple. "The spirits are in a sharing mood, for once cooperating with me." She ignored Gus's eye roll. "I know it about your husband, but what exactly is it? They decided it was time for me to bite dust and find out from you. He didn't commit a serious crime, did he? Robbery, arson, aggravated assault, identity theft, ax fraud... murder?"

Mrs. Nowell sputtered, voice airy, "Oh, heaven's no, dear. My husband would never hurt anyone."

"As far as you know of." Gus muttered. Mrs. Nowell continued as if she was never interrupted. "I just think he might be... might be..."

"Cheating on you?" She nodded. "You want me to catch him in the act, taking photos as evidence." Another nod was given. "I'm game. What's your husband's name, favorite hang-outs, and work place?"

"Well, his name is Drew Nowell, a junior partner at Tucker Turner Law Firm." Gus frowned, shooting her a loaded glance which she raised an eyebrow at. Janice continued, "He's always going to La Hotel de Los Angeles. I think that's where he meets them. Anyways, he usually takes me to Aleena's Hut, a trendy restaurant, every Friday, and he loves to visit Charlie's Pub for drinks." Shana huffed; that's were she was banned from yesterday. They had daily challenges, and she was accused of cheating. Gus was smirking behind the lady, disregarding the cross look she was sending his way.

"Okay, do you have a business card of his that I can keep?" Mrs. Nowell dug through her purse and pulled on out, handing it to the psychic. "Thank you. One more question; how long have you suspected your husband of cheating?" The client wiped away a tear with a lace hankie, her bag shifting over until it was between the two. "Only yesterday when I found another woman's undergarment in his car." She stared past Shana, out the window. "I can't believe he's doing this to me."

Shana scowled. "Mrs. Nowell, if you expect us to work in a mutual agreement, a little honesty is appreciated. Lying to me is an insult to my intelligence and pride. So, let me ask you again. How long have you suspected he was cheating on you?"

Their visitor looked her up and down before sighing. "Oh course, Mr. Spencer. It's been five days, but the undergarment confirmed it." Gus stepped up. "Thank you, ma'am. We plan to do our best, and we will call if we have any updates."

Discussing a few more details, they traded contact info before she left. The wind chime fell off the door when it slammed. Shana considered picking it up, but decided to let Gus do it later. "What's wrong with you?" She faced him with a perplexed expression. "What did I do?"

Rolling his eyes, he frowned. "The man's a junior partner of one of the best law firms in the city. If he finds out you're investigating him, he'll serve you so badly, a hand-me-down skirt will be the most expensive thing you own."

She pouted. "One, a skirt is probably the last thing I'd keep." She ticked off her fingers. "Two, a hand-me-down skirt from Sacs is still pretty valuable. And three, don't you mean 'if he finds out that _we're_ investigating him?'"

He said nothing.

"Gus," she whined; still nothing. "Fine, working along on this kind of case is easier anyway." She glance down at the card in her hand. Mr. Drew Nowell was a handsome, older gentleman with a charming smile, but something about the picture didn't sit well with her. Maybe it was the glint in his eyes or the way the smile looked more like a leer if you looked at it long enough. She shook her head, chalking it off as sleep deprivation. Yeah, all she needed was a little rest. That's it. The case would be a piece of cake.

She looked at her partner then the card again. Shana hoped she was right.


End file.
